TWELVE UNA STUDENTS BRING HOME TOP AWARDS FROM PHI BETA LAMDA STATE CONFERENCE
May 6, 2008
By Rebecca Walker
UNA Student Writer
FLORENCE, Ala. — The University of North Alabama’s chapter of Phi Beta Lambda recently brought home several awards from the Alabama state competition, with each of the 12 UNA students competing placing in the state’s top three in at least one of their two events. Eleven qualified to compete at the National Phi Beta Lambda competition, to be held in Atlanta next month.
“For the competition, the students take very difficult tests, and usually there is both a test and a presentation component,” said Donna Yancey, faculty adviser of the organization. “These are some of hardest tests you’ll ever take, and these are our top academic students who are winning. UNA is the most winning college in Alabama; other college chapters are relieved if we are not competing in certain categories, because they tell me it gives them a chance to place.”
According to Yancey, UNA students place first at the state competition every year, and 49 UNA students have placed at the national level in 18 consecutive years.
Award recipients and their categories from the state competition include:
Luke Chenault — First place in both Accounting Principles and Financial Concepts
Roy Dawson — First place in International Business; second place in Marketing Analysis and Decision Making
Ashley Foster — First place in Business Law
Marie Kaas — First place in Management Concepts; co-third place in Human Resource Management TEAM
Chris Latham — First place in both Business Communication and Future Business Teacher
Sammi Jo McConnell — First place in Information Management; second place in Computer Applications
Agenda Overton — First place in Accounting Analysis and Decision Making; second place in Accounting for Professionals
Jason Parker — First place in Website Development
Jerrod Terry — First place in Database Design and Applications
Jake Tober — First place in both Macroeconomics and Microeconomics
Anand Udeshi — Second place in Cyber Security
Will Smith — Co-third place in Human Resource Management TEAM
The UNA Phi Beta Lambda officers also received first place for the chapter’s annual business report. The officers include Agenda Overton, Sammi Jo McConnell, Ashley Foster, Marie Kaas and Joe McCollister.
“This report takes weeks to compile,” Yancey said. “It’s a very extensive report on what we’ve done throughout the year. It includes pictures, activities and community work the chapter has done.”
UNA’s PBL chapter participates in the March of Dimes and Big Brothers, Big Sisters nonprofit organizations.
“I’ve seen students who join PBL and their lives are changed,” Yancey said. “Students join who would never get up in front of a group, but then they become officers and blossom into more well-rounded individuals. After they graduate, they serve as our advisory council, speak at our meetings and even hire our students.”
The organization is open to business majors, minors or simply students who have an interest in business.
Faculty advisers for the UNA chapter are Joan Parris, associate professor of computer information systems; Donna Yancey, associate professor of marketing; and Natasha Lindsey, instructor of marketing.
For more information about PBL at UNA, contact Parris at 256-765-4961 or by e-mail at jbparris@una.edu.
